Tried and true, real person recipes for feeding your family

Adagio Bakery and Cafe – For the Kids and for You

How often can you go out to eat with your kids and really relax? Not that often. A new restaurant in town has food, prices and atmosphere to keep both parents and kids happy.

Mmmmm, baked goodies!

The name may be familiar to those in the Park Hill neighborhood but the vibe is different. Adagio Bakery and Café has opened a new location in the Hilltop area, on Holly Street, just north of Alameda. In the spot shared by Park Burger and High Point Creamery, Adagio is giving an expanded, sit-down menu experience a good try. You can still pop in and get baked goods to go, like their other location in Park Hill, but this pretty interior and spacious patio calls for lingering.

While there are many delicious baked goods kids (and adults) would love, including more flavors of scone than you can shake a mixing spoon at, the Kids Menu features a choice of pancakes, scrambled eggs, PB&J, hot dog or grilled cheese plus a side of house fries, fresh fruit, cottage cheese and pineapple for $5. The portions are good and the food is great. When the kids start to get antsy, there’s a large chalkboard and chalks set up inside to let the kids get creative.

Of course, it’s not all about pleasing the kids (although it often feels like it is). There’s plenty at Adagio that the grownups will love. When we went, we had the Sunny Side Duck ($12) with duck confit, duck potatoes (fried in duck fat?), chive hollandaise and a drizzle of tart cherry jam. It was rich and delicious. The only thing missing was a piece of toast with which I could have gathered up the yolk and hollandaise instead of licking the plate which was embarrassing. Just kidding.

Nearly every breakfast place has a breakfast burrito and it always surprises me how they can all differ so much. Adagio makes a big one with bacon or sausage or veggie,

Spinach, goat cheese and mushroom all come together in this delicious omelette.

Adagio offers a breakfast menu until 11am with entrees, breakfast and specialty sandwiches. Then at 11am, panini, salads and other sandwiches get added to the offerings. The Roasted Turkey with Pesto, provolone, caramelized onion and tomato sounds good, as does the Salami and Pepperoni with mustard, provolone, oven roasted tomato and caramelized onion. All panini are $9 and are served with mixed greens or coleslaw. Salads such as the Beet Salad with roasted red, yellow and candy striped beets, goat cheese, mixed greens, pecans and raspberry vinaigrette ($8) sound tasty and are probably beautiful too.

Adagio has a great reputation for their baked goods so we couldn’t leave without trying some of them too. The coconut macaroons are luscious and the biscotti make every warm drink a happier thing. The mini-banana bread loaf was just like mama used to make. The variety of scones is staggering and the flavors change all the time but just consider ones like chocolate raspberry, banana chocolate chip and blackberry honey…you probably can’t go wrong with any of them. I’m nuts for Adagio’s granola now with toasted coconut and pecans. I could have mixed some with yogurt or in oatmeal or something wonderful but I just reveled in its purity in a bowl with milk. So good.

Because the prices are reasonable, the food good and the atmosphere kid-friendly, you’ll actually be able to linger and enjoy, even with the kids. There are parking spots behind the building and on the street.